Humanitarian context
During 2022, Chad experienced major climate change impacts, which quickly resulted in shortages in the Sahel region, followed by historic flooding. More than 6.1 million people suffered food insecurity, of whom 2.1 million were severely affected.
In Chad, Action Against Hunger continued to operate in different areas through all its programmes. In nutrition and health, the organisation applied a combination of emergency, support and health system reinforcement approaches. Projects were developed for urban and rural populations, as well as for displaced persons, through large-scale curative and preventive interventions.
In terms of food security and livelihoods, Action Against Hunger helped the most vulnerable people with food programmes, grazing support in the Sahelian provinces, livelihood strengthening and agricultural development - for example in horticulture and rain-fed crops (i.e. those dependent on annual rainfall cycles). These programmes helped communities cope with the famine, which resulted from a lean season that affected grazing and agriculture, while strengthening their resilience to shocks.
In both the health structures it supported and in the communities, Action Against Hunger continued to systematically include water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. It applied this principle in its activities to combat malnutrition, provide clean water and improve hygiene and sanitation in communities and populations displaced by the security crisis in the Lac and southern regions, inter-communal conflict in neighbouring Cameroon, and floods. In northern Kanem, Action Against Hunger also carried out a project that involved developing water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure.
In 2022, Action Against Hunger trained 300 community leaders to provide psychological first aid to people affected or injured by disasters. In addition, 30 nurses and three doctors were trained on the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (MHGAP) to enable them to better manage mental disorders arising in the population in emergency situations.
BENEFICIARIES
workers
Our activity
Action Against Hunger plays a key role in Chad in addressing nutrition, health and food security. Through comprehensive programmes, emergency care and support are provided to the health system in urban and rural areas, including displaced persons. Projects are being implemented to strengthen livelihoods and agriculture, such as horticulture and rain-fed crops.
In addition, water, sanitation and hygiene are prioritized both in sanitation structures and in communities affected by crisis, conflict and floods. We train community leaders and health professionals in psychological first aid and in the management of mental disorders during emergencies. With these actions, Action Against Hunger demonstrates its commitment to improving the resilience of communities in the face of crises.
WHERE
WE HELP
We help 24.5 million people each year. We work in 55 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, those most threatened by hunger.
EYEWITNESSES
KHADIJA: "MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S HEALTH IS MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE. SINCE SHE TOOK THE MEDICINE, SHE IS MUCH BETTER"
The landlocked Republic of Chad is named after its lake. Stretching across the centre of the arid and harsh Sahel region, this rapidly dwindling water source supplies water to 30 million people in Chad and surrounding countries: Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger.
Khadija is 38 years old. She is caring for her two-year-old granddaughter, Fatime, while her daughter, Fatime's mother, awaits the birth of her second child.
As soon as she noticed that little Fatime was ill, she set off on the hour-long journey to the nearest town with a hospital. Moving between villages, especially in rural regions, can be challenging and costly but Khadija did not hesitate for a second. "I have exhausted my knowledge," Khadija explains. "Our ancestors gave us traditional treatments. If a baby has a high fever, you cover them with a towel soaked in cold water and give them traditional medicines such as butter oil with milk... nothing worked. That's why I took her to the hospital," says Khadija.
When she arrived at the village hospital, she was referred to the Mao Health Centre. The Mao Health Centre is one of many Action Against Hunger-funded nutrition centres in Chad that are making a difference. On arrival at this health centre, after the long journey to Mao, everything changed for Khadija and Fatime. The centre's team quickly treated Fatime for malnutrition. When a severely malnourished child comes through their doors, they can be treated and fully recover within six to eight weeks.
Community health workers quickly diagnosed Fatime with severe acute malnutrition, the most serious and life-threatening form of hunger, and began treatment immediately. "My granddaughter's health is much better than before. Since she took the medicine, she is much better.”
In 2017, extreme violence affecting civilians led to widespread displacement. Refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence in neighbouring countries only added to the pressure on Chad's ailing economy. After nine years of violence and with the additional impact of climate change and poverty, a staggering 11 million people face severe food shortages in the Lake Chad region. At Action Against Hunger we are running nutrition centres for children under five and pregnant women. We have provided emergency food and nutritional supplements to people at risk of severe, life-threatening malnutrition, so that children like Fatime can receive the treatment they urgently need to survive.
